France

But as always in life, the people are ultimately more important than the place. What I love most about living abroad is the other expats you meet: funny, fascinating individuals from all over the world who are always game for another shot of gin. Who share the same philosophies about life and youth and adventure, and pushing yourself to live live live as much as possible. They’re people with stories more compelling than mine could ever be: engineers and foreign diplomats and journalists working overseas, born in Seoul but raised in Warsaw and London. They’re bankers who dropped everything to be pastry chefs, midwestern girls with big dreams who just wanted to soak up Paris. They get me. I get them. … [Read more...] about Paris Expat: The Reality of Life in France

By the end of the day I was strategizing a way to spend the summer on the island. Couldn’t you just hole up there for a few months of seaside strolls, baguettes and beach time? I certainly could. I think the Île de Ré would make the perfect writer’s (or blogger’s) retreat. … [Read more...] about Ile de Re, France’s Most Adorable Island

Eric Tabanou, director of the France Tabac, factory in the Dordogne region of southwest France, said keeping the country's last tobacco processing site open became unviable. AFP/Mehdi FEDOUACH Anti-smoking campaigners may cheer its demise, but for its workers and local tobacco growers, the closure of the France Tabac factory after 34 years of operation is a devastating blow to the Dordogne region of southwest France. … [Read more...] about Final puffs for France”s last tobacco factory

The next morning we started cooking early to prepare for the birthday party of Catherine’s 11-year old nephew. In honor of the festivities, Olivier made his signature scallops with crème fraîche and mushrooms, which he flambéed with Armagnac. Flambéing is really as simple as take pan off of flame, pour in alcohol and light contents of pan on fire. Who knew! … [Read more...] about Two Days at a 200-Year Old French Apple Farm

"The people demonstrating will be doing it more out of moral conviction, a sense of duty, rather than to try to make the government back down," said Yann Raison de Cleuziou, a sociologist who has studied the conservative Catholic movement against the family reforms. … [Read more...] about French to protest pro IVF law for single women, lesbians